With any type of project involving a construction or renovation process, cost will likely be a key factor in determining whether you can go ahead with the project or not, or to what extent you can add on to, or renovate your home. However, while many homeowners are deterred by the seemingly high price of professional masonry services, it’s important to understand why their work is priced the way it is, and what factors can impact their final estimate.
To help you breakdown the costing process masonry contractors undergo when pricing up a job, here are 3 of the main factors they must take into consideration with each project, no matter its size:
- Materials
Priced higher than regular concrete or wood, the materials masonry contractors use such as brick, flagstone and pavers, play a significant role in the pricing process. Heavy and not as easy to source, while these materials last longer than wood and concrete, they will bump up the price. Let’s look at each in turn:
- Brick
While more affordable than stone, brick still costs more than wood or concrete. Withstanding the elements well, brick is more durable than concrete, and can give a wonderfully uniform and attractive look to a structure.
- Flagstone
Comprised of natural stone and coming straight from the quarry, each piece of flagstone is unique and only a skilled masonry contractor can install them correctly and in an aesthetically pleasing manner.
Alternatively, pavers are manufactured into buildable slabs. Since pavers are pre-cut, the amount of work required to install the pavers is minimal compared to flagstone. Still, pavers offer the beauty of uniformity that flagstone can’t achieve.
- Pavers
With their clean lines and dependable stability, pavers are a more costly choice than concrete for patios and walkways, for example, but less expensive than flagstones.
2. Labor
Requiring a lot of skill, ample artistry, and a whole lot of strength to install, masonry work that will stand the test of time and look how you want it to, can only ever be carried out by experienced masonry contractors. However, their skill and craftmanship naturally makes their services cost more than if they were simply pouring concrete or hammering wood together, and the process itself is also highly time consuming, further adding to the overall cost.
3. Expertise
While it is possible to find a masonry contractor who will charge you less for their work than others might, this usually means that they either aren’t as skilled, or simply don’t have the experience that warrants a bigger bill. Ideally, if your budget is small, it would be better to wait until you can afford to pay a bit more for a skilled masonry contractor, than to have a cut-price contractor carry out the work and then charge you later for repairs that may well happen a lot sooner as a result of their lack of expertise or finesse.
Whichever way you look at it, while you will pay more for a professional masonry contractor than you would for one who is an amateur or who has less experience, you’re virtually guaranteed a better result that both looks better, and lasts longer. As with many things in life, when it comes to masonry, you really do get what you pay for!